Photo by: Emma Delk
Marshall County Schools teachers learn about the resources the Youth Services System has to offer during a back-to-school resource fair at John Marshall High School.
During Marshall County Schools’ first Back-to-School Resource Fair, Marshall County Schools teachers and staff received pencils, paper, and supplies for the upcoming school year.
During Thursday’s event, representatives from 50 different agencies met at John Marshall High School to educate employees about health care, financial planning, legal advice and more.
Superintendent Shelby Haines outlined the goal of the fair to ensure that teachers and staff are “aware of all the great resources that are now available to them and that they may learn about.”
“We are used to hosting back-to-school fairs for our children, but we also need to take care of our teachers and staff,” Haines noted. “We’ve found that there are a lot of resources in our state that our staff may not know are available to them.”
The event was a new part of Marshall County Schools’ Continuing Education Day. By the end of the fair, Haines estimated, “about 800 employees” had visited 50 agencies spread across two floors of the high school.
Agencies represented at the fair included Family Resource Network, United Bank, National Alliance on Mental Illness, American Fidelity and The Health Plan. Haines added that Marshall County Schools also had booths at the fair to provide information about resources available to employees through the school system, such as social programs.
“We know that with 100 people in that room and 25 tables, no one can solve an insurance problem, but at least they have a face and a contact to someone they can call for help,” Haines said.
Elisa Hickman, director of clinical and community services for the Youth Services System, educated faculty and staff about YSS resources they were unfamiliar with. She found that “several people” were unaware of their Youth Mentoring Network program and school-based mental health services.
“These teachers and staff in the school system spend so much time with the kids that they can identify if there is any service needed for these students,” Hickman said. “We provide many services to children and youth in the community and we want to make sure everyone knows so we can help make sure these kids feel safe and have access to services while they are in the school system.”
Rachel Ciccone, a counselor at Cameron Elementary School, said that while she was “familiar” with some of the organizations at the fair, such as YSS and NAMI, she was able to make new connections at the event.
“I spoke with United Bank and learned about a program where they talk to students about saving and financial responsibility,” Ciccone said. “That will be very helpful for my kids.”
Katie Dantrassy, principal of Central Elementary School, noted that after visiting the information booths, she felt more knowledgeable about the resources available to her beyond the organizations she already knew about.
“This is important to me as a school principal because I can refer families and parents to different organizations, whether they are looking for funding or support,” Dantrassy said. “It makes me feel good knowing that I have the knowledge to be able to support them quickly.”
